Chapter 8 - Rebuilding from the Ashes
With the $151,200 restored to us, along with our own savings, Colin and I did something we had dreamed of doing for over a decade. We bought our very own home.
It was a beautiful, sunlit four-bedroom house at the edge of town, featuring a massive, fenced-in backyard filled with oak trees, a spacious porch, and a large window in the master bedroom that overlooked the garden.
For the first week after moving in, Colin would wander from room to room with a quiet, disbelieving smile on his face. No one was going to drop in unannounced to critique our decorations. No one was going to tell us what chair we could sit in or what television channel we could watch. No one was ever going to tell my daughter that her feelings were "selfish."
Sophie’s new bedroom was twice the size of her old one. On the very first night in our new house, we set up Sadie’s bed right beside Sophie’s desk.
Sadie, though older and walking a bit slower, explored every inch of the new yard with the joy of a puppy. She chased squirrels, bathed in the afternoon sun, and spent her evenings lying across Sophie’s feet while Sophie did her homework.
One evening, as I stood in the doorway watching Sophie paint a picture at her desk with Sadie asleep at her feet, Colin came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, resting his chin on my shoulder.
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"We did it," Colin whispered. "We finally gave her a real home."
"No," I smiled, holding his arms tightly. "We earned it. All of us."
